a month of posts - day twentysix

Flew back into Perth today after being in Melbourne for just over a day. Perth started its third year of trial daylight savings today (now GMT +9). As it is a trial daylight savings, there have been constant debate of the pros and cons for it. It amuses me to no end when I hear that daylight saving is bad as cows will become disorientated with the time to be milked and how curtains will fade faster. I am looking forward to having more sun and to have it later too... although you won't see me without a bottle of sunscreen in hand this summer. Now I just wished the shops will also follow suit and extend their trading hours...

the pro and the con

Currently loving:
- Being back in Perth with my family.

a month of posts - day twentyfour

It's been a pretty big day today... went to work (one of our teams moved out of the building), I had to run a few last minute errands, packed to fly out to Melbourne for the weekend, helped make toasted sandwiches at Youth (it was quite a fun adventure with half a dozen of us leaders hovering over sandwich presses to make hundreds of them), headed over to the airport to catch my flight. I felt very pampered when I received a travel pack from a friend complete with lollies, chips, a magazine, sample hand cream and the newest book by Lauren Weiberger (author of The Devil Wears Prada)... can't wait to read it.

Currently loving:
- Brittany's fantastic news... she heard about her school sending people to Thailand on a mission trip, thought it was a great idea but wasn't sure if she could afford it or should go... anyway she finally submitted in her application form a few weeks back and found out yesterday she was accepted into the program!!!! So proud of her!

a month of posts - day twentythree

I received my letter from the big boss regarding my job after the restructure yesterday, and I will be moving to a new team. In fact my team is going to be dispersed into three different teams... the changes that will happen! Looking back to the two and a half years I have been in my team, I have learnt so much and have made lots of new friendships. I would have to say we are probably the most united team, the rowdiest and we love to share food and have a good laugh together. I have been really blessed having the opportunity to work in the government from a five-day temp job to fixed-term contracts with the department.... had amazing colleagues who showed and taught me admin skills amongst other skills (including the skill to 'fail')... and a fantastic manager who not only is committed to the work, but who cares for the team members... I've been so blessed. Anyway change, someone everyone gets a little uncomfortable with it... some react stronger than others... it can bring out the insecurity, the unknown, etc. It's so easy to simply say 'let's embrace change!' but in reality it can be so difficult... there's often an inertia I find when I want to change... I want to start in the new role (not sure when I'm moving yet) with a positive attitude, and want to be a valuable asset to the team. God help!

this film is one of my favourites and has been used as a reference between my friends and I on many occasions in relation to work, fashion and relationships

Currently loving:
- the soba noodle soup from the Japanese restaurant next to my office... slurp slurp!

a month of posts - day twentytwo

Still looking for accomodation in Paris, France and Petaling Jaya, Malaysia... Paris' got heaps of hotels and hostels... so where should I stay? options, options, options. I've had heaps of help from friends who have visited France before and they have been providing me with lots and lots of information and useful tips... really appreciate how excited and resourceful everyone has been about my trip. I've also managed to convince a friend to join me for my short two-day stay in Paris! Yay should be heaps of fun. Hope to be able to pack some sightseeing in and catch up with my friend Cilou.

images i hope to be able to see in paris

Currently loving:
- Playing online scrabble and getting super speedy responses! Game on!

a month of posts - day twenty

It's been quite a turbulent quarter with many things changing in the big wide world of Perth... in my opinion anyway... the whirlwind state election (which is being governed in coalition at the moment), my work's major restructure which still has not yet been settled since it was announced in May, the international economy crashing, Perth's property market having its big ups and downs, etc. But I was reminded by Mark Connor (my pastor when I was living in Melbourne) who spoke at church over this weekend that we should be living for things of eternal value - knowing God, loving and valuing people, and investing our time, talent and resources into our world a better place, and to have a generous spirit. I find that when I get anxious and uncertain, that's when I tend to curl inwards and not want to give... call it self-preservation or whatever, but I pray that I will be able to live larger.

the You Are Beautiful project

Currently loving:
- My colleagues who help lighten up my day, cracking jokes, sharing food, supporting one another... (even through our vigorous sweaty lunch time circuit training sessions!)

a month of posts - day six

Moving away from Hong Kong, I thought that the crazy busy pace of life would slow down... sometimes I wonder if I could ever be so wrong. I reckon it's we have learn to crave... for something to do... if there are gaps in the diary, we want to fill them up. Weird. I think it's a good thing to just slow the pace down every now and then, and just be able to balance it out. Recently I discovered I just couldn't cope with a clustered diary and needed to blank out spaces in my diary so I could have more 'me' time and feel more relaxed and happy.

I read a blog the other day and found out that there is a book called 'The Slow Guide To Melbourne'. It's a guide "for anybody who wants to slow down and live it up, seachange without shifting postcode. It celebrates all that’s local, natural, traditional, sensory and most of all gratifying about living in Melbourne". Wow what a wonderful idea, encouraging the modern day city slickers to enjoy their cities and to be able to lap up the scenes. Would love to see a Perth version.

images from kirin notebook

Currently loving:
- knowing that I will become an aussie citizen on Australia Day! yay!
- my friend Chris who managed to score a pair of Toronto Maple Leaf tickets for Kelly and I!!!!! woot woot! so excited!

a month of posts - day one

This will be my last set of 'a month of posts' for the year. As my friend Amanda has begun writing every day for the month of October for her sophomore book, I thought I would join along with the month of writing... just perhaps not as inspirational...

Western Australia recently had its state election, and the sandwich shop next to my office decided to get rather vocal about it. The flyers made my whole team smile for practically an entire day... as it was exactly what everyone was thinking and someone had finally voiced it out in the open. (NB: the Barnett campaign aka the Liberals won the election but only just... with the help of the National party... now waiting to see some positive change)

Currently loving:
- knowing that I will be getting a visa to transit in the USA! I went to the US Consulate General today (went through some surreal security) after paying an exorbitant amount of money just to transit in LAX... in the end, the administrator was very generous and gave me a short trip visa which was more than I applied for! yay! Thank God! so one visa down... still got another one to sort out...

the september update

Wow I didn't realise so much has happened this month until I uploaded my photos from my camera (there were plenty of birthday celebrations)...apart from the photo evidence, what else has happened in September...

• We celebrated Father's Day (Australia's day for dad's is in September) for my brother... which was a sad but positive occasion.
• Been adjusting to life without my gong gong at home and having to visit him at a nursing home instead.
• Had the opportunity to be on stage with my connect group on a Sunday evening service discussing the topic of evangelism... I love my connect group and we normally share and talk so much, but guess being on stage in front of hundreds of people made it rather daunting and the conversations just did not flow as easily... although afterwards I did have some positive feedback... phew! so it wasn't all for nothing.
• Even more personally... I finally gave into applying for a credit card... I now own one which I find very scary, as I get scared enough just using EFTPOS... sometimes swiping the bit of plastic I lose all track of my money-sense... gulp! Guess it's a good start for me to get even smarter about my money situation.
• I will be going travelling for seven weeks starting in mid-November till the beginning of the new year... bought the tickets... now in the midst of sorting out visas and accomodation. Finally going to be travelling overseas after being on the big island since July 2005! It's been way too long. I can't wait for the adventures to begin! yippee!!!

happy birthday hayley, jeremy, erin and eli


mooncake + annette's amazing birthday cake made by jemma


a cardboard cut-out pirate + annettte the birthday girl



at the hertime 'mamma mia' event - complete with greek guitarists, lanterns, tapas and the girls performing dancing queen


at the art gallery + syl and nat cheering on my cousin eve

More pics from September click here & more HerTime pics to be uploaded soon...

Currently loving:
- Sex God by Rob Bell... loved the book... has made me think about how connected we are to one another, and how we are made to be sexual beings and to be connected to God.
- 白蓮容月餅 white lotus paste mooncake... still weirded out that it's not mid-autumn when we celebrate 中秋節 here in the southern hemisphere... guess just have to settle calling it 'Moon Festival'.
- paper lanterns... they just make me smile... and seeing how amazing they looked at the HerTime event made me want to decorate my garden full of them (somehow I doubt that's going to happen though)
- Electric Feel by MGMT... very catchy tune
- searching for places to visit on my trip... esp pit-stops for food and clothes...

another month of posts - day thirty

Just a quick post... been thinking about the interesting way we now communicate and interact with one another... with mobile phones, text messaging, emails, blogs, forums, online networks etc, are we interacting with people less and less face-to-face... does that make the relationships formed more or less personal? Is it healthy to want everything in an instant? There are so many services nowadays online that delivers news as soon as it has been broadcasted out into emails and SMS... Do we really need to know all that is being broadcasted/updated? Are we becoming a society that just wants to be in the know of everything... literally everything and anything? Hmm still thinking...

another month of posts - day twentyone

What? A day of rest from the Tour de France?! I was really looking forward to watching more cycling before bedtime tonight. I think dad and I have managed to lure Sarah into watching the Tour de France. Of course there's also Rupert Guinness, one of the reporters who contributes to the SBS coverage who has been providing us with endless amusement wearing those Hawaiian shirts of his... it's a different bold print each day. What is up with guys and Hawaiian shirts? I'm not too sure that it should be a fashion staple... and can one really wear those shirts day in day out????

another month of posts - day twenty

Church's theme for this month has been 'Jesus, Light of the World'... tonight adam spoke and illustrated his message by using the camera lens and how the iris of the lens funnels light into the camera. Adam also shared his personal life story and it was really powerful. Reminded me of Matthew 5:13-15, and how light may be all around, but when it is surrounded by darkness, light becomes a focus point. I pray that my life will be more and more saturated in His light and that I will be able to have more opportunities to be His light in the lives of those around me.

another month of posts - day sixteen

Just wondering... Is there a proper way to stay warm in winter? How much heating should one use? Is it justifiable to heat the room until it feels like you're on a tropical island? I reckon it's a pain in the neck to layer on clothes as I usually end up unable to move my arms properly etc... but at the same time I am saving electricity and gas... sigh decisions decisions.